Idaho officials have published a list of ultrasound providers as part of a new state law (HB 516) that aims to dissuade women from seeking abortion care, the AP/Seattle Times reports (Kruesi, AP/Seattle Times, 8/2).
Background
Current state law mandates that a woman be offered the opportunity to view the ultrasound if one is performed by an abortion provider.
HB 516, approved earlier this year, requires abortion providers to tell a woman seeking abortion care where she can receive an ultrasound at no cost. The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Ron Nate (R), required the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to assemble a list of such facilities. Abortion providers are required to include the list in the packet of state-mandated information they are obligated to give to a woman.
Abortion-rights advocates have raised concerns that most ultrasounds provided at no cost would primarily be offered by antiabortion-rights crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). In addition, advocates said the law does not require that the provider offering no-cost ultrasounds give patients medically accurate information (Women's Health Policy Report, 3/3).
List details
Eleven facilities asked to be included on the list, most of which are CPCs. The majority of listed ultrasound providers are located in northern Idaho, which is a largely conservative area of the state.
Additional facilities are seeking to join the list, which will be updated annually on Jan. 1. According to the AP/Times, the state's three Planned Parenthood clinics were not included because they do not offer no-cost ultrasounds.
Officials with the state's health department said the centers included on the list have not been inspected or certified. Further, officials issued a notice that a woman receiving services at one of the listed centers should not consider the center's information a medical recommendation and noted that the information is not endorsed by the state.
Spokesperson Niki Forbing-Orr said, "Adding that language was a way to let people know that we're not saying this is going to be a great ultrasound experience." She explained, "There's no registry for this type of equipment in Idaho. Anyone can own and operate one" (AP/Seattle Times, 8/2).
